The Gibsonburg resident, who has 400 acres of cropland in Scott Township, also has a summer cottage in Carroll Township near Lake Erie.

So he can see how phosphorous from fertilizer and other sources fuels toxic algae on Lake Erie, and how farmers and lake enthusiasts are affected by the blooms.

Harmful algal blooms usually turn up in August and can produce toxins that can make people and pets sick. They also hurt tourism, which contributes $11.5 billion to the economy in Ohio’s eight counties on the Lake Erie coast.

For years, the algae has been a growing problem on Lake Erie, particularly the Western Basin. Scientists have found a dissolved form of phosphorous helps feed the blooms, and farming from fertilizer has been identified as the biggest phosphorous source.

Bowe decided he wanted to do something that would help reduce the amount of runoff from his farmland. He added filter strips at the edge of his fields through a program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program offers funding for farmers who use things like filter strips and cover crops in order to keep nutrients on their land and out of tributaries to Lake Erie.

Becky Duncan, NRCS Sandusky County district conservationist, talked about the EQIP program with farmers Wednesday at Terra Community College during a forum on farming and algal blooms sponsored by the Ohio Farmers Union and the Ohio Environmental Council.

NRCS also announced Wednesday it has $1.5 million available for farmers to receive funding for implementing conservation practices. It will accept applications through Aug. 9.

“It is competitive, so not everyone who applies is able to get in,” Duncan said. “The applicants who have the highest environmental benefits are the ones who get in for funding.”

Conservation practices benefit farmers and the ecosystem, she said.

They keep fertilizer on the farmers’ land, saving them money, and improve soil heath, which is good for their crops, she said. At the same time, conservation keeps phosphorous out of Lake Erie tributaries.

Joe Logan, Ohio Environmental Council director of agricultural programs, explained why phosphorous is creating the blooms and how farmers can help.

The Lake Erie watershed, especially in the Western Basin, is heavily populated with farms that are intensely drained and managed, he said. Drainage tiles for farming account for 40 percent of the dissolved phosphorous entering the lake, he said.

“Agriculture uses a lot of nutrients, and we lose a lot of nutrients,” Logan said. “We know that farmers want to do the right thing.

“We know that farmers want to be a part of the solution. We know that like any business, they need to make a buck and turn a profit.”

With programs like NRCS’ EQIP, there is funding available to make some improvements to help.

“If we don’t, something else will have to happen,” he said. “That something may be regulatory actions. Farmers have been concerned about that for years.”

A bill is pending in the Ohio Senate, which would require farmers to take training and receive a certificate from the Ohio Department of Agriculture in order to spread fertilizer.

The way the bill is written now, it would only require those who use commercial fertilizer to receive certification and not people who spread manure, which is another source of phosphorous, Logan said. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has expressed interest in having the bill amended to include manure users, he said.

If the bill is not changed to include manure, Logan said he does not believe it will garner support from conservation organizations.